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W. S. LEVIN.

TRACKiOPERATED DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC BLOCK SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

A'PPLICATLON FILED APR. 24, 19l7- Patented June 3, 1919.

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\L i T I Z X INVENTOR M 51; A TTORNE w. s. LEVIN.

TRACK OPERATED- DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC BLOCK SlGNAL SYSTEMS. APPLICATIONFILED APR. 24. 1917.

1,305,384:. Patented June 3, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A TTOR/VEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

WALTER S. LEVIN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONALSAFETY APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORA- TION'OF CALIFORNIA.

TRACK-OPERATED DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC BLOCK-SIGN AL SYSTEMS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1919.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known that I, WALTER S. LEVIN, a

' citizen of the United States, and a resident of San Francisco, cityand county of san Francisco and State of California, have i11- vented acertain new and useful Improvement in TrackOperated Devices forAutomatic Block-Signal Systems, of which the following is aspecification.

The object of my invention is to provide a make and break track devicewhich is simple in construction, of few parts and certain and eificientin its operation.

The track device constitutes in its broadest aspect a simple circuitbreaker operated by the depression of the rail as the train passes overit.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of that portion of a block signal systemincluding a line of track magnet, a make and break track device and animproved time limit relay controlled by a magnet which is in the circuitwith the make and break device forming the subject matter of the presentinvention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of a rail and portions of myimproved make and break track device, Other portions being shown inelevation.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2, the circuit wire beingomitted.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, 70 represents the track deviceforming an element in a signaling system disclosed in my application fora patent for improvements in automatic block signal systems filed onApril 24, 1917, under Serial No. 164,134.

So far as the present invention is concerned, it is only necessary,referring to Fig. 1, to note that 70 is the track device, 56 is thelever thereof, T a rail of the track, 59 a battery energizing thecircuit in which is included the track device, 1 a magnet and 10 anarmature for the magnet.

The circuit is as follows Starting at the battery 59 by wire 58 to theshort arm 8 of the track device, lever 56, contact 19, wire 61 to magnet1, wire to battery, thus completing the circuit.

The construction of the make and break track device 70 is shown in Figs.2 and 3.

T is the rail, 2 a hardened steel member convex at its upper end andconcave at its lower end, which member is attached to the center of theflexible rubber diaphragm 5 by means of the metal ring 3 and screws 4,the diaphragm being in turn attached at its periphery to the containingcase by the metal ring 6 and screws 7. The lower end of the hardenedsteel member 2 bears on the end 8 of the lever 56 which is mounted on ashaft 14, the lever being fitted with bronze bushings 15. The arm 56 ofthe lever is provided with a screw-threaded stop 25 passing therethroughand held in its adjusted position by a lock nut- 16, the said stop beingprovided for adjusting the downward travel of the lever. Projecting fromthe end of the lever and substantially in line therewith is .a. pin 18fitted thereto and arranged to make contact between the spring contactarms 19 and 20. These springs are mounted binding post 21. 17 is thebase for carrying the device and 12 is a support insulated at 17 fromthe base 17. This support is fitted at one end with a binding post 13and at the other end with a binding post 11 to which is attached aflexible copper lead 10 which is riveted or otherwise secured to aterminal 9 on the arm 8 of the lever.

The lever is included in the operating circuit so that in the event thatit should be fractured from any cause (which danger is extremelyremote), it would open the operating circuit of the relay and displaythe necessary stop signals; hence the insulation from the base at 17 asabove referred to.

In operation, as the track is depressed by a passing train, it depressesthe hardened steel member 2 which in turn depresses the lever arm 8causing the lever to rock on the shaft'14 and the projecting end 18 torise and break contact with the springs 19 and 20, thus opening thecircuit and causing the magnet l of the time limit relay as shown inFig. 1 to be deenergized and thus causing the time limit relay tooperate.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a track device for an automatic train signal system, thecombination with from the support23 and provided with a the rail, of alever pivoted at a pointintermediate its ends, one end of saidleyerbeing mechanically connected to the rail, a contact normallyengaged by the other. end of said lever, and an electric circuitconnected to said contact and to the leyer end agacent' the rail, thesaid lever normally form ing a portion of said circuit.

3. A track dev ce for an auto nat1ctra n engnalfsystem, consisting of alever, one ar n of'which is connected to the track, and

other armeconstituting' a make and break element, a fiea'iblediaphra'gm,a wear re sisting element carriedf by the diaphragm fillClSltLlElt-Qdbetween the ra l arm and the arm of the contact lever and, an electriccir} cuit permanently connected, tothe first er tioned lever arm andnormally connected to the other lever arm. 7

l]. Ina track device for an automatic train signal system, thecombinationfwith the *railfcf a relay operating normallyclosed'ci'rcuit, and 'aTlever having two arms included insaidcircuit,said lever being mechanically connected to the rail,

connectedto said circuit andinsulated from said balsie, one, of saidbinding posts being connected to said contact and the other to the leverend; adjacent the rail.

6, 1 11v a track device for an automatic tra signal system, the,combination with the rail, of a lever having oneend connected to therail, an elect ric contact normally engaged, by the other end or saidlever, binaingfpcsts respectively connected. to said contact and to thelever end adjacent therail, and means for adjusting the lever in posion, relat vely'te aid; co f t ti si ned at borough of Manhattan, cityand State oi; New York, this nineteenth day of "April, 1917.

WALTER s. LEVIN. Inpresence of l .I 'EI R R ARDe I AGRA W?" Copiesofvthis patent may be ob tainedfor five cents each, by addressing theCommissioner of Patcnts,

Washington, DIG,

